Some people say that “happiness” is too light a topic for leadership. But I unabashedly disagree. The sensation of happiness is like a surge of energy. This joie de vivre has a way of expanding your awareness of the world around you, increasing innovation and a sense that you are being your “true self.”

For a while I’ve been asking people to tell me what makes them happy at work. What they’ve told me not only affirms for me just how great people are, but also provides specific suggestions for wiring the workplace for happiness. Notice that the very same things that people say make them happy on the job, are also known catalysts of organizational results. In other words,when you wire your organization for happiness, you wire your organization for success.

Heres what I found:

So what do the data imply? Well, I think that this information points to some really specific practices that are completely within our control to implement. To name a few:

coaching and mentoring,

professional learning communities,

feedback systems and dashboards,

shared goal setting, delegation,

use of problem solving protocols and design processes,

celebrations of small wins,

democratization of information,

connecting people to customers and clients,

communication skills,

shared leadership and decision making

Why not understand what it takes to wire your workplace for happiness? It can’t do any harm and it just might make life and work better.

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Let me know if I can provide a leadership development workshop or keynote for your organization.

Best Regards,

Elle Allison Napolitano, PhD.

Wisdom Out Founder

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